By Hanson Chidozie
In the bid to stem the mushrooming of sub-standard schools in the state, Akwa Ibom State Government has closed down 782 private schools.
The Commissioner for Education, Pastor Paul Udofia, who led a task force to close down some of the schools, which included a polytechnic; said that the affected schools were operating illegally without valid license across the three senatorial districts of the state.
Udofia further stated that owners of the affected schools were operating out of tune with the regulatory framework of the state government and observed that some of the illegal schools lack qualified teachers, while some operated from uncompleted structures that lacked recreational facilities.
He warned that any proprietor, teacher or student found within the premises of the closed schools, when his ministry returns for inspection, will be arrested.
The commissioner stated that government desires to make the education sector functional through approved framework guiding it and warned that the private schools’ proprietors that are in the habit of establishing sub-standard educational institutions, would be made to face the full weight of the law.
Udofia expressed delight for being able to identify the illegal schools in the state, and urged the monitoring task force to ensure that no stone was left unturned in the process of fishing them out.